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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Orgran Gluten-free Whole Grain Bread

I came to Swaziland fully expecting to have to abstain from any gluten-free treats while I am here; I was expecting to eat a lot of corn porridge and stew, but not bread. Definitely not bread. So when I was in the local grocery store last week and went down the baking aisle, I was shocked to discover a variety of gluten-free flour mixes available from a company called Orgran, based in Australia.

Gluten-free whole grain bread, gluten-free self-raising flour, gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffin mix, gluten-free cake mixes....I truly couldn't believe my eyes. And they weren't just gluten-free; they were completely allergen-free. I indulged and bought myself the gluten-free whole grain bread mix, and this week, I tried it out. Although it is not the most flavorful bread I've tried, I also didn't try to experiment with this batch. I followed the directions on the box exactly, taking their suggestion of adding eggs but just using water and oil instead of trying out a batch with soy milk. I'm sure this would also be great with some herbs mixed in, or with caraway seeds. If you used a flat pan, you could add onion powder, basil, oregano, and parsley and make a nice foccacia bread. I kept it simple, and while it wasn't the best loaf of gluten-free bread I've tried, it was great compared to the complete lack of bread I have access to here otherwise. So if anyone reading this is abroad, look for Orgran - it says on the box that they distribute internationally, and if I can find their products in Swaziland, I feel like everyone has a pretty good chance of finding them, no matter how far-flung your current location is.